Article of furniture



Nov. 22, 1960 IR. SEPPER ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed March 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 3 I 23 I INVENTOR. [4H ROBERT P/SEPPER 10 4 /36 25 BY p lz e' jwhvv Nov. 22, 1960 R. SEPPER ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13, 1958 INVENTOR.

ROBERT P SEPPER United States ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Robert Sepper, 21190 Parkwood Drive,

Fairview Park, Ohio i This invention relates to furniture and more specifically to a novel and; improved combination-bureau and infants bath. Bathing infants has long been a problem. It is difiicult for a mother to wash the child in a normal adult bath tub because this requires bending and kneeling. Normally, wash basins are too small for such purposes. A kitchen sink or a laundry tub is often not accessible, and further it is undesirable to wash a child at these locations. Additionally, all of these mentioned possibilities are undesirable because they are extremely hard and the child is easily injured. 1

Heretofore it has been proposed to provide an 'infants bath tub. However, most such proposals have had the disadvantage of being portable devices made from coarse materials such as rubber. Residues accumulate in the pores of these materials and suchport-able infants" tubs soon acquire an odor. Space considerations in most homes do not permit use of a more permanent arrangement devoted solely to child car and bathing.

Accordingly,- one of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a novel and improved article of furniture for bathing and otherwise caring for infants, which article of furniture overcomes all of the disadvantages of prior art devices for such purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved article of furniture which is a combination bureau for storage of infants wear and other articles and bathing and child care work area for dressing and otherwise tending an infant. 4 i

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved article of furniture made in accordance with the foregoing objectives, which article is suitable for use as a bureau, or the like, after the infant has grown and the need for the infant bathing and care features of the device has terminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved article of furniture having an area for bathing a child, an adjoining area for disrobing and clothing the child, both of which areas have a fencelike guard to prevent the child from accidently rolling off the work surface, and an article of furniture in which such guard includes a removable guard section which may be'detached and stored when not in use as a guard.

- Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the novel and improved article of furniture with the removable guard section removed;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale with respect of Figures 1 and 2 showing the alternate locations of the removable guard; and,

-Figure 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale with respect to Figures 1 and 2 of the novel and improved 2,961,281 Patented Ice,

article of furniture with the guard positioned to the infant. v

Referring to the drawings and Figures 1. and 2 in par;- ticular, a novel and improved bureau is shown-which has a front wall shown generally at 10 and first and second imperforate side walls 11, 12. The bureau also has an imperforate back wall 13. The walls together with appropriate internal bracing form a frame which defines a bureau of generally rectangular configuration-with a large cavity between the walls. The upper portion of the cavity is closed bya top 14 which is fixed to the walls;

The front wall 10 has a plurality of openings in it to provide ingress to the cavity defined by the 'walls 10, 11, 12, 13 and the top 14. A plurality of drawers are slidable into and out of openings in the front vwall, the drawer openings being at the left as seen in Figure'l. The drawers provide storage cavities for clothing and the like. In the preferred and disclosed embodiment the right hand portion of the bureau is a large storage cavity 17 closed by sliding doors 18, 19.

The top 14 has a plane smooth upper work surface'20. Agenerally' oval shaped aperture 22 is formed in the top 14, at the right hand side as seen in the drawings. An infants bath tub 23 is receivable through the aperture 22 and loosely peripherally embraced by the edges of the aperture 22. A subtop 24 is provided beneath the top 14. The subtop has an upper tub supporting surface 25 which supports the base of the tub 23. The-tub supporting upper surface '25 is plane and generally parallel to the top upper work surface 20. The subtop 24 is at least partly disposed immediately beneath the aperture 22 for the purpose of supporting the tub 23. j

The tub 23 is preferably formed of a yieldable plastic such as polyethylene-to provide a soft material which is not apt to injure a child bathed in the tub. Desirably, the tub has tapered sides 27 which are telescopically receivable through the aperture 22. It will be seen that the edges of the aperture 22 serve as a guide for the tub 23 when it is telescoped into the position shown in the drawings and the edges will also serve as a loose peripheral support. The tub is removable for filling with water and for disposal of the water. Since the tub is formed of a soft yieldable material, it will be apparent that the side walls are distensible and supported by the edges of the aperture when the tub is filled.

Permanently fixed first and second side guards 30, '31 are provided above the top 14. The side guards 30, 31 in the preferred and disclosed embodiments are vertical upward extensions of the side walls 11, 12 respectively. A corresponding back guard 32 is also provided. 'The back guard 32 is preferably an extension of the back wall 13 corresponding to the side guards 30, 31. The side guards 30, 31 are fixed to the back-guard-32 toformer permanent fence like, guard around three sides -of'the rectangular work surface-20.

A removable front guard 35 is providedf The front guard 35 is one of the outstanding features of the invention. The front guard 35 is a removable guard having a plurality of tabs 36, Figure 4, which are receivable in a corresponding number of aligned slots 37 formed in the 7 top 14, Figure 2. The interrelation of the tabs 36 and the slots 37 is best seen in the sectional view of Figure 3. The front guard 35 may have first and second hand aper tures 38,- 39 for facilitating movement of it. The removable guard 35 also has first and second end stops 40, 41

which project longitudinally at either end.

A longitudinally extending guard storage slot 44 is formed in the front wall 10. The guard storage slot 44 generally parallels the top and sub-top 14, 24 and is pref-' erably located between them. The slot 44 isa storage slot .fonthe removable-guard 35.; The slot 44 is of suifi cient length to receive the guard 35, tab end first. The

P t t end stops 40, 41 prevent overinsertion of the removable guard 35 in the storage slot 44, because they are abuttable against the face of the front wall 10. Such abutment prevents overinsertion of the removable guard in the storage slot and. assu es loca ion, o th remova e g ard 35 in a position where the hand apertures 38, 39 are accessible.

Whe t e remo ble guard .35 is in t e Posit on s o in Figure t e top 0, 4 a e i s s a tial abutment with the s d u r s 3 esn e i elyhus, th side guard 35 coacts with the fixed guards 30, 31, 32 to complete the fence-like definement and protection of a work area on the upper work surface 20.' The guard protects an infant and substantially eliminates the possibility of he in ant r ll ng off th p surf ce-v At the left hand portion, as viewed n the drawings, .of the upper surface 20 a large open area is provided where the child may be dried, diapered and clothed. To faa e hese operat ons a s orage elf 46 is fixed to th gu rd 30 an the hook g d his s o age sh lf .46 is for convenient storage of baby powder, diaper pins nd he ike,

.For u t er c nveni nc in he arti le f furnit re, a electrical outlet 50 may be provided. The outlet 50 is preferably centrally located near the top of the back guard 32. It is also located adjacent the storage shelf .46. A further refinement which adds materially to the convenient use of the device as a bureau for infants garments is a clothes rack 51 which is provided in the cavity 17. A clothes rack 51 is shown in dotted lines in Figure l and in an extended posit on in the perspective view of Figur The combination presented here will be seen to have material advantages over prior infant bathing facilities. The tub is easily filled and emptied, a characteristic which has been lacking in most prior art proposals. Another of the outstanding features of the inventionis that while P i; device has been designed primarily for infant care, it is readily adaptable to other uses after a child has grown and the infant care facilities are no longer needed. One need only store the removable guard 35 and the tub 23 and cover the top 14 with a new surface to provide a very. usable bureau or the like. By removing the doors 18, 19 the device can be easily converted into a desk. Further, it is not necessary to fully cover the top 14. :An insert may be provided to till the aperture 22 and if desired the slots 1 This n ert, which is not shown in th dra ngs, can be u ed while the device is still Pai s sed for infant are. if the insert is removable. It is n y ary o remove the. tub, 23 and store it in the cavity 17, or elsewhere, and then place an insert in the ap rture 2 to Pr de a smooth open work surface or wha er purp se may be desired.

Although h in ntion has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understoo hat he present disclosure of the preferr form ha been made only by way of exam le andthat numerous changes in the details of construction and the:

ombination and arrangem nt of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit, and the scope of the invention as hotfiinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. article of furniture comprising, a frame structure defining a storage cavity therein,the frame having first and second fixed side walls and a fixed back wall closing the sides and back of said storage cavity, means carried by the frame and closing the front of said storage eavity, a stop fixed to said frame, the top having a smooth plane upper surface defining an infant care area, a subtop fixed to the frame and having a plane upper surface generally paralleling the top upper surface, and a pliable infants bath tub, the tub having distcnsible side walls, the top having an aperture formed therein, the tub being insertable in the top aperture, the top aperture being slightly. larger than a cross-sectional configuration of the tub to give loose peripheral support to the distensible side walls when the tub is disposed in the aperture, the subtop upper surface being disposed in part immediately beneath said top aperture, the tub being removably supported over substantially its entire base by said subtop when disposed in said top aperture.

2. An article of manufacture comprising, a bureau having substantially imperforate first and second side walls and an imperforate back wall, the bureau having a. front wall formed with a plurality of openings therein, a plurality of drawers and doors closing said openings to define a plurality of storage cavities, said bureau having a top connected to said walls, the top having a smooth plane upper surface, a pliable, removable infants bath tub, the tub having distensible side walls, the top having a tub receiving aperture formed therein of sufiicient size to receive said tub and form a loose peripheral guide and support for the distensible side walls of the tub, said bureau including a subtop, the subtop having a plane upper surface disposed in part immediately beneath the p aperture to form a support for said removable tub. the upper surfaces being generally parallel, the bureau also including first and second side guards and a rear guard fixed to the .top, the side guards each being fixed to said rear guard, a removable front guard having a plurality of connecting tabs, the top having a plurality of tab receiving slots formed in a line near the front edge of the top, the guard being removably connected to the top whenthe tabs are disposed in the slots, and guard having first and second longitudinally extending stops substantially in abutment with the guard side walls when the tabs are disposed in said slots, said guard and guard walls defining a guarded work surface on said top, said work surface covering substantially all of said top upper surface, said front having a longitudinally extending uard storage Slot generally paralleling said upper sur faces and located between said front apertures and said top, said storage slot being of sufiicient extent to receive the guard exclusive of said stops, and said stops being abuttable with the face of said front when the guard is disposed in the storage ,slot.

3. In an article of furniture having a framedstorage area and a flat horizontal top having front, back and side edges, the improvement which comprises, a guide rail extending along the back and side edges and projecting above said top, said guide rail being rigidly secured to said frame, said top and guide rail defining convertible infant care area, a subtop paralleling the top and rigidly fixed to said frame beneath the top, an up erture in said top and above said subtop, a pliable intent bath tub having distensible side walls removably dis- Posed in said aperture and supported by said subtop, said bath, tub. defining a portion of said infant care area, and a removable guard rail portion connected to said top to define the front extremity of said infant care area, saidtop having a plurality of spaced guard rail supporting apertures near the front edge of said top, said guard rail portion having a plurality of downwardly extending tabs, each of said tabs being removably insertable in one of said guard rail apertures to support said guard rail portion, said article having a guard rail portion storage slot formed paralleling and beneath said top, said guard rail portion being receivable in said storage slot, said tub being receivable in the interior of said article for storage whereby to convert said infant care area to an area suitable for other purposes.

4. In an article of furniture having a framed storage area and a flat horizontal top having front, back and side edges, the improvement which comprises, a guide rail extending along the back and side edges and projecting above said top, said guide rail being rigidly secured to said frame, said top and guide rail defining convertible infant care area, an aperture in said top, an infant bath tub removably disposed in said aperture, said bath tub defining a portion of said infant care area, and' aremovable guard rail portion connected to said top to define the front extremity of said infant care area, said top having a plurality of spaced guard rail supporting apertures near the front edge of said top, said guard rail portion having a plurality of downwardly extending tabs, each of said tabs being removably insertable in one of said guard rail apertures to support said guard rail portion, said article having a guard rail portion storage slot formed paralleling and beneath said top, said guard rail portion being receivable in said storage slot, said tub being receivable in the interior of said article for storage whereby to convert said infant care area to an area suitable for other purposes.

5. In an article of furniture for infant care having a frame supporting a fiat support surface above the floor,

the support surface being surrounded by a guard rail 15 with a removable rail portion, the improvement which comprises, at least one half of said support surface being a smooth imperforate portion providing a large work surface portion, said support surface having walls defining an aperture therein adjacent said work surface portion, a 20 2,778,034

sub-top secured to the frame disposed beneath and generally parallel to said support surface, a pliable infant bath tub having tapered side walls and a generally oval cross-section removably disposed in said aperture and supported by said sub-top, the walls defining said aperture being congruent with said tub and substantially adjacent thereto and in peripheral supporting abutment with said tub when the tub is in use for bathing an infant, whereby an infant can be restrained in the same area 10 prior to, during, and subsequent to bathing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,082,082 Jiranek Dec. 23, 1913 1,951,237 Fiene Mar. 13, 1934 1,983,187 Oswell Dec. 4, 1934 2,500,037 Katz Mar. 7, 1950 2,694,495 Faures Nov. 16, 1954 2,724,627 Moncier Nov. 22, 1955 Smith Jan. 22, 1957 

